Take A Bow
by leonid77
Summary: Faye Valentine's always been independant, adaptable, and above all, strong. But when life throws a particularly hard curve ball, she may need more than an Ace of Spades up her hotpants to make it through. Faye x Spike. *Gosh summaries suck.


Summary: Occurs w/o Spike's demise, so this is the time after everyone except Jet has left the Bebop.

Faye Valentine's always been independent, adaptable, and above all, strong. But when life throws a particularly hard curve ball, she may need more than an Ace of Spades up her hotpants to make it through.Mainly angst… LoLz I'm just obsessed-- & forgive me.I haven't seen e whole series~! aRgHz

Take A Bow 

Standard disclaimers apply

Ch 1(a): Dawn

Nothing begins, 

and nothing ends, 

That is not paid with moan; 

For we are born in others' pain 

And perish in our own.

Jet Black set the plateful of mushrooms down on the table, thick knees bent in front of it. Exhaling, he felt his shoulders stiffen. He really hated eating leftovers from last evening. The morning sunlight streamed through the windows, soothing and gentle, but it didn't serve to ease the cold. 

The Bebop was a lonely ship.

The sheer silence that had reigned since Faye made her exit six months ago (and counting) was always worsened in the evening. Dinner time. Same old grey mass for dinner and no one actually ate, mainly because it wouldn't have made a difference whether they were mushrooms or pig brains. 

But, the fact was that they ate. 

Bickering, wrestling, jibbering and getting all emotional, all these added to the action that the whole cohort used to bring around, and he missed them, as much as he didn't like to whine about it… he did it too often. 

Still, he knew why Ed left, and Spike's intentions were all too clear to him, so he didn't interfere.

Clearing his throat in the screaming silence, Jet scooped a mouthful of mushrooms up, before watching it slip back onto the original mass.

He felt sorry.

About Faye.

Maybe he should have done more than he did, and then again perhaps things were better left alone. She left because she wasn't a person who could live with the vacant nothingness that was the Bebop, and she didn't have anything to stay for anymore.

Suddenly he felt someone looking at him.

Sighing, Jet wanted to smack himself for the paranoia, until the familiar, lilting tones floated over. 

"Not inviting me in, Jet?"

He turned.

Reclining against the door panelling with an elbow and her characteristically-cocked hip, Faye Valentine flashed him an amiable smile before striding in. 

"Why are you here this early?" A mixed tone as his heart welled up.

She chuckled a little, her longer locks of violet hair dancing as she shrugged. "I dunno; take a look around this place, I suppose. Kinda missed it."

_Didn't think you really would. _

"Hasn't changed much," she continued, perching herself comfortably on the edge of the tattered couch. Her sparkling emerald eyes fell upon his rapidly cooling dinner. "You too, huh?"

Holding a nonchalant expression, Jet tried not to cry. Gosh it was hard. Did she have to come here under the pretense of being a caring friend? There was only one reason for her to return, so…

He waited.

Not for long.

"Has Spike come around here yet?"

Jet grinned a little. "No."

"Oh." Every inch of cheerfulness and hope had dissipated from her sultry voice, and even her broad, proudly angular shoulders sank.

He found himself worrying for her.

"What is it?" he asked quietly, inquiring gently but never pushing. 

Scarlet lips parted, but nothing left them.

He paused for her, frowning.

She stood up, whirled and strode towards the door.

He did likewise, rushing after her and then clutching her elbow, pulling her back.

"What is it, Faye? What's so important?"

Jet could hear her ragged, shallow gasps, and she finally turned to face him.

Head bowed, she placed both palms, one after another, on her flat abdomen, upon her rippling muscles. Tears fell incessantly as she sobbed, anguished expression hidden beneath her hair. 

When the truth dawned, shock gave way under empathy and perspicacity, despite the fact that everything now seemed so surreal. Jet wanted to go all out to help, but first he was going to be a friend. 

He placed a hand on her shoulder, steady and firm.

"I need to go now," she whispered, so hoarse it was barely audible. 

"Come back if you need help."

"Okay." On another day he wouldn't have recognised that voice.

Her footsteps died away hastily with the growing gale. Looking up the darkening skies, Jet prayed silently for their safety. Right now he wanted nothing more than that. 

* A VERY slight beginning chapter… 


End file.
